Bound to the Triplet Alphas-Chapter 23: Forbidden Feelings

ARIA POV

"Mother!" I screamed as blood poured from the arrow wound in her shoulder. I pressed my hands against it, forcing the silver light to heal her like it had healed Jaxon.

Nothing happened.

"Why isn’t it working?" I cried, fear rising in my chest.

Aurora’s eyes fluttered. "The arrow... poison..."

I heard footsteps running toward us. Lucien appeared first, followed by Kael and Jaxon.

"Help her!" I begged.

Lucien instantly knelt beside us, examining the wound. "This is dreamshade poison. I need my herbs."

Jaxon helped carry my mother inside while Lucien rushed to mix a fix. I couldn’t believe she was really here after all these years. So many questions burned inside me.

"Hold this against the wound," Lucien directed, handing me a cloth soaked in something that smelled like mint and dirt.

Kael stood in the corner, his face blank as he watched me tend to the mother he’d never known was connected to him too.

Dawn was breaking by the time Aurora steadied. She slept deeply, her breathing even. Jaxon and Lucien had stepped outside to check for signs of Alpha Darius’s return.

I sat beside my mother, studying her face. We had the same eyes, the same curve to our lips. How had I never seen pictures of her? How had no one noticed the resemblance?

A strong hand gripped my arm, pulling me to my feet. Kael pulled me into the small back room of the cabin and shut the door.

"What happened with Jaxon?" he asked, his voice low and intense. "I need to know exactly what you did."

I tried to pull away, but his grip was like iron. "I don’t know! I told you—"

"Not good enough," he growled. "My brother was dying from a curse that’s been in our family for generations. Then you touch him and suddenly he’s fine? What kind of power is that?"

For the first time, I saw Kael’s perfect mask crack. Behind the cold eyes and hard face was fear—raw and real.

"You’re afraid for him," I whispered.

"He’s my brother," Kael said, his voice catching. "We fight, we compete, but he’s my brother."

I stopped fighting against his grip. "I really don’t know what happened. The light just came from inside me. Like the Moon Goddess was working through me."

Kael’s eyes dropped to my hands, which still bore faint signs of the moon marks.

"Show me," he said quietly.

"I can’t just make it happen—"

"Try." His voice was softer now, almost begging.

I closed my eyes, searching for that strange power I’d felt before. Nothing happened.

"I’m sorry," I said. "Maybe it only works when someone’s in danger."

Kael finally freed my arm, but he didn’t step back. We stood close—too close. I could feel the heat coming from his body.

"I’ve been fighting it," he said suddenly.

"Fighting what?"

"This pull toward you." His eyes burned into mine. "At first I thought it was the mate bond, but that was impossible. I felt something for my own half-sister? It made me sick."

My heart beat faster. "And now?"

"Now I don’t know what to think. I feel connected to you, but it’s different from what Lucien feels. Different from what Jaxon feels too."

"One shares your blood. One shares your power. One shares your heart," I repeated Elder Malin’s words.

"You’re my blood," Kael said. "But sometimes I wonder if there’s more to it."

Before I could reply, he leaned forward and kissed me roughly. Shock froze me in place. His lips were demanding, desperate, confused. For one heartbeat, I felt that strange silver power stir inside me again.

Then Kael jerked away like he’d been burned.

"What was that?" he gasped, touching his lips.

I felt as confused as he looked. "I don’t know."

"It felt like... recognition," he said. "Like something in me was answering something in you."

The door burst open. Jaxon stood there, his face twisted with emotion as he looked between us.

"What’s going on in here?" he asked.

"We were talking about tonight’s challenge," Kael lied easily, his mask back in place.

Jaxon didn’t look convinced. "Lucien needs help collecting more healing herbs for Aurora."

Kael nodded and left without looking back at me. Jaxon stayed, his eyes searching my face.

"Be careful with him," he warned. "Kael has always put the pack first. Even above family."

After he left, I returned to Aurora’s side. Her eyes were open now, watching me.

"My beautiful daughter," she whispered. "You’ve grown so strong."

Tears filled my eyes. "Where have you been? I thought you were dead."

"I had to hide," she explained softly. "To protect you. Alpha Darius would have killed us both if he knew what you were."

"A True Alpha," I said.

She nodded. "The last female Alpha of our family. We were more powerful than the guys, so they hunted us down. I thought I’d hidden you safely, but when I felt your power rising, I knew I had to come back."

"The triplets," I began, not sure how to ask. "Kael is my half-brother, but what about the others?"

Aurora’s face got serious. "You feel the pull to all three, don’t you?"

I nodded.

"Because each connection is real, but different," she said. "The prophecy—"

A crash from outside stopped her. Mira burst through the door, her clothes torn and dirty, her face streaked with tears.

"They’re coming!" she cried. "Alpha Darius has called the entire pack together. He’s telling everyone that you’ve betrayed the pack by using illegal magic!"

I helped Aurora sit up. "The challenge isn’t supposed to be until tonight."

"He’s not waiting," Mira said, catching her breath. "He’s labeling you rogue right now. Anyone who helps you will be banned."

Lucien and Jaxon ran back inside, their arms full of plants.

"We need to go," Lucien said quickly. "Father’s men are searching the woods."

"Where’s Kael?" I asked, suddenly understanding he wasn’t with them.

Jaxon’s face darkened. "He left. Said he had something important to do."

My heart sank. Had our strange moment driven him back to his father’s side?

"We can’t leave," Aurora said strongly. "We must face this now. The Blood Moon rises tonight—it’s our only chance to break the curse forever."

"How?" I asked.

"With blood freely given," she answered, echoing what Lucien had said earlier. "But first, you need to understand who you truly are to each triplet."

A howl cut through the air—the warning that pack warriors were closing in.

"No time," Lucien said, grabbing my arm. "We have to run, now!"

As we ran toward the back door, it burst open. Kael stood there, breathing hard.

"Father knows everything," he said. "He’s invoking the ancient rite of Alpha succession."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

Kael’s eyes met mine, filled with conflict. "It means only one of us survives the night. He’s putting us against each other—you, me, Jaxon, and Lucien."

"But you’re my brother," I breathed. "And Lucien..."

"That’s why he’s doing it," Kael said sadly. "To destroy the bonds between us."

He held out his hand, a small bottle of deep red liquid in his palm.

"What is that?" Jaxon asked suspiciously.

"Father’s blood," Kael answered. "I stole it from his room. He doesn’t know."

"Why?" Lucien asked.

Kael’s eyes never left mine. "Because blood calls to blood. And tonight, we need to know the truth about all of us."

Another howl heard, much closer this time.

"Drink it," Kael pushed, pressing the vial into my hand. "It will reveal everything."

The vial felt hot against my skin, like it was alive with power. I looked at the three brothers—one my blood, one my power, one my heart.

I uncorked the vial and raised it to my lips.